Cook County Breaks 1,000 Homicide Mark For First Time Since 1994

CHICAGO — For the first time in more than a quarter-century, Cook County has registered more than 1,000 homicide victims for the year.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the county's thousandth homicide of 2021.

With more than a month left to go in the year, there have been 1,009 homicides in the county, compared to 986 in all of 2020 and 675 in 2019, according to data from the medical examiner's office.

Cook County's all-time record for number of homicides in a single year was set in 1991, when the office handled 1,229 homicides.

The total number of homicides for 2021 so far represents an 11 percent increase when compared to 2020's total at the same point. Last year marked a 40 percent spike in killings compared to 2019.

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More than three out of four of the county's killings this year have taken place in Chicago. Of more than 230 homicides that occurred in suburban Cook County, south suburban communities made up four of the top five deadliest suburbs.

Harvey recorded 30 homicides, Maywood had 16, Dolton had 11 and Calumet City and South Holland each had eight.

Among the next highest totals: Berwyn, Chicago Heights and Evanston have each recorded seven homicides in the first 11 months of the year. Cicero and Markham have had six, according to the medical examiner's data.

Black people made up 81 percent of homicide victims in Cook County. Latinos constituted nearly 15 percent. And 88 percent of those killed in Cook County homicides were men or boys.

There have been 12 homicide victims this year under the age of 10. Ten have been aged 70 or older, according to the medical examiner's office. The youngest person killed was a 1-month-old boy, and the oldest an 84-year-old man.